India calls out Pakistan's lies at UNOCT: 'It has main-streamed terrorism as statecraft'

India on Thursday lambasted Pakistan for sponsoring cross-border terrorism and said the neighbouring country has "main-streamed" terrorism as statecraft. While speaking at the UNOCT Virtual Counter-Terrorism Week, Mahaveer Singhvi, Joint Secretary for Counter-Terrorism, MEA said that terrorism is the grossest affront to the enjoyment of the inalienable human right to life and to live in peace and security.

Singhvi said, "It poses a serious threat to economic and social development, undermines democracy and jeopardizes the rule of law. It is an attack against freedom of thought, expression and association. While acts of terrorism violate the rights of individual victims, it also deeply affects the enjoyment of a range of rights by the families of the victims and society as a whole."

'A sponsor of cross border terrorism'

Slamming the Prime Minister Imran Khan-led 'Naya' Pakistan for sponsoring terrorism, Singhvi said, "This is an occasion for reiterating our collective resolve to protect and uphold human rights. It is unfortunate that Pakistan, a sponsor of cross border terrorism, and the globally acknowledged fountainhead and pernicious cradle of terrorism, has once again used this forum for propagating its discredited narrative and making mischievous and scurrilous allegations against India."

"While, the whole world including India, has undertaken proactive steps to promote human rights and build resilience against terrorism, Pakistan has main-streamed terrorism as statecraft," said Singhvi.

He also reiterated that India's western neighbour continues to provide military, financial and logistical support to cross border terrorism but has denied the victims of terrorism their fundamental right to justice by not acting on the concrete evidence shared by India on several terrorist attacks, including 1993 Mumbai Serial Blasts and 2008 Mumbai Terror Attack.

READ | Coronavirus Live Updates: India's recovery rate at 62%; UP under lockdown on July 10-13

READ | Amid tensions with India, cable operators in Nepal ban all Indian news channels except DD

'The least Pakistan could do is...'

Calling terrorism as the worst form of human rights abuse, the diplomat said, "Before preaching to others Pakistan must remember that terrorism is the worst form of human rights abuse. The world doesn't need lessons on human rights from a country whose own citizens, as well as minorities, have never enjoyed true democracy."

"The least Pakistan could do, therefore, is to look into its own sorry state of affairs and put its house in order before pointing fingers at others and spewing venom against the democratically elected Indian Government and its leaders," he added. 

Read his full statement here 

READ | Vikas Dubey handed over to UP STF; produced before court via video conference: Sources

READ | Congress' Nirupam demands probe into Thackeray's Matoshree-2 land deal; alleges laundering

(With ANI inputs)